Tobacco-box-clamping machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1,

J. H. KESTER.

TOBACCO BOX GLAMPING MACHINE. No. 512,975. I Patented Jan. 16, 1894.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' (No Model.)

J. H. KESTER. TOBACCO BOX GLAMPING MAGHINE. V No. 512,975. Patented Jan.16, 1894.

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' NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. KESTER, OF WINSTON, NORTH CAROLINA.

TOBACCO-BOX-CLAM PING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 512,975, dated January16, 1894. Application filed May 17, 1893. Serial No. 474,560. (Nomodel.)

To all whom zit may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN 1-1. KESTER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Winston, in the county of Forsyth and Stat-e of NorthCarolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in TobaccoBOX- Olamping Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,-

which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for clamping andholding tobacco boxes while the tobacco is being compresse therein.

The object of the invention is to provide a novel machine of the abovecharacter which shall possess superior advantages with respect tosimplicity and efficiency.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination ofparts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a'tobacco box constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a centralvertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontalsection, on the line wa; Fig. 1. Fig. 4; is a central vertical section,taken in a plane at right angles to Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detailperspectiveview of the stationary clamp and the cam lever for operatingthe movable clamp. Fig.6 is a detail perspective view ofthe standardcarrying the lower platen.

In the said drawings the reference numeral 1 designates supporting legsupon which is mounted a bed or base 2, having a central the pivots 26are adapted to engage.

clamp, formed similar to clamp 2, but slightly smaller, so that thesides of this latter clamp overlap the same, as seen in Fig. 3.

Secured to the rear of the base 2 is an upright 5, which supports therear .ends of a frame consisting of the side bars 6, and curved end bar7. The side bars are formed with rails 8, and lugs 9 with which lugs thescrewrods 10, secured to the base engage, Supported by and movable uponthe said rails is a carriage 12, provided with guides 13. Near each endthis carriage is provided with slots 14, with which the upper ends ofthe screwrods engage, binding nuts 15 being employed to hold thecarriage firmly in place during the operation of pressing.

Passing through an aperture in the carriage 12 is an interiorlyscrew-threaded hub 16 through which passes a screw-shaft 17. the lowerend of this hub is fixed a cog-wheel 18 which meshes with a pinion 19secured to a shaft 19 passing through the carriage and provided with ahand-wheel 20.

The lower end of the screw-shaft 17 carries a platen 21 provided witharms 21 having slots at their ends which engage with the screw-rods 10,and'prevent the platen from rotating.

The stationary clamp 2 upon its outer sides is provided with two bars23, having lugs 24:

at their outer ends in which are pivoted arms {25 pivoted together attheir bifurcated meeting ends. The pivot 26 of these arms, also servesas a fulcrum for the cam-lever 27. The ends of the arms pivoted to bars23 are formed with a number of holes with which moving the pins andreplacing them in different holes in the arms, the latter can be adjusted to suit different sizes of boxes to be clamped.

Passing through the central aperture in the FPO By re-' base, is avertically movable standard 28 carrying at its upper end a platen 29,which forms the bottom of the clamp. The lower part of this standard isformed with a'central vertical slot in which works the inner end of alever 30 pivoted to a rod 31 secured to bars 32,formed with or securedto the base 2. The

outer endof this lever is connected by means of a rod 34' with a footlover or treadle piv- ITO otedto one of the supporting legs. Thestandard s provided on two of its outer sides with vertical grooves 35,with which engage guides 36 on the inner sides of the bars 32. It willbe seen that the upper end of the standard is enlarged forming a head37, to which the bottom platen is secured or formed integral therewith,and is cut away at its sides formmg shoulders 38 with which engageremovable rods 39 passing through aligned apertures in the bars 32.These shoulders are at different heights and the upper ones project outbeyond the lower ones. By this means, and changing the rods from one setof holes to another, the height of the bottom platen may be adjusted orregulated.

The operation is as follows: The upper platen is elevated by means ofthe hand-wheel, its shaft, the pinions, cog-wheel, and screwrod, and thebinding nuts are loosened and the carriage is slid to the rear. Thecam-lever is thrown out of engagement with the movable clamp, so thatthe latter can be moved outward away from the stationary clamp, and themovable platen is elevated by means of the foot-lever or treadle andheld in its adusted position by means of the pins passing underneath theshoulders therein. The box to be clamped is now placed between theclamps resting upon the movable lower platen, and the cam-lever operatedso that its cam will engage with the corner of the movable clamp forcingthe latter radially inward and clamping and holding the same between itand the stationary clamp. The carriage is now drawn forward until itsplaten is over the box, the binding-nuts are tightened and the platendepressed by means of the handwheel and connections, and the tobacco inthe box compressed and compacted therein.

When sufficiently compressed, the platen is again elevated and thecarriage run back and the cam-lever operated to release the clamp.

By now depressing the foot-lever or treadle the box is elevated so thatit can be grasped and withdrawn from the clamps.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a boxclamping machine, the combination with the stationary clamp, consistingof the plates arranged at a right angle to each other and secured to thebed of the machine, of the angular movable clamp resting on said bed,the arms pivoted to the stationary clampand their ends pivotallyconnected together and the cam lever pivotally connected with said ends,substantially as described.

2. In a box clamping machine, the combination with the angular movableclamp secured to the bed of the machine, of the angular movable clampresting on said bed, the arms pivotally connected with said stationaryclamp and their ends pivotally connected together, thev cam leverpivotally connected with said ends, and the vertically movable lowerplaten and the foot lever connected therewith for actuating the same,substantially as described.

3. In a box clamping machine, the combination with the base having acentral aperture and the stationary and movable clamps, of thevertically movable lower platen, its standards having the shouldersformed in the sides, the bars secured to the under side of the base andthe removable rods passing through holes in said bars, substantially asdescribed.

t. In a box clamping machine, the combination with the base having acentral aperture and the stationary and movable clamps, of thevertically movable shaft passing through the aperture in the base,having its lower end slotted and vertical grooves formed in its sides,the bars secured to said base and provided with guides working in saidslots, the platen carried by said standard, the pivoted lever working insaid slot, the foot-lever or treadle and the connecting rod,substantially as described.

5. In a box clamping machine, the combination with the base having acentral aperture and the stationary and movable clamps, of thevertically movable standard having a central slot and vertical groovesin its sides,

and an enlarged head cut-away at the sides forming shoulders or steps,the bars having guides working in said grooves, and formed with alignedholes to receive the movable rods, the pivoted lever, one end of whichworks in the said slot, the pivoted foot-lever or treadle and theconnecting rod, substantially as described.

6. In a box clamping machine, the combination with the base, thestationary and movable clamps, the uprights and screw rods, of the framesupported thereby provided with rails, the carriage formed with slotsthrough which the ends of the screw-rod pass, the binding nuts and thevertically movable shaft carrying the upper platen, substantially asdescribed.

7. In a box clamping machine, the combination with the base, thestationary and movable clamps, the uprights, screw-rods, and the framecarried thereby provided with rails,of the horizontally movablecarriage, the screwshaft carrying the upper platen passing through anaperture in said carriage, the screw-threaded rotatable hub, the co-wheel secured thereto, the pinion, its shaft and handwheel, thescrew-shaft and the platen secured thereto, provided with arms havingslots at their ends with which the screw rods engage to prevent theplaten and shaft from rotating, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereuntoaffixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN H. KESTER.

Witnesses:

BENNETT S. J oNEs, STEWART SHEA.

I IO

